Re: mulch

Ooooooh!  Pine Bark Fines - love that stuff.  Here, when it was available,
it was labeled as Soil Conditioner.  It is apparently used extensively by
organic growers.  We can't get it anymore.  However, I wouldn't be able to
afford it as a mulch as the finer it is, the more quickly it decomposes. I
got some PB mulch last year from a different source and it was just a stage
below fine.  Nearly gone by the end of the same season.  Great for the soil,
but I can't afford to replace that often.  This year I picked up some
mini-nuggets which are just a stage below mulch.  They will last longer.  I
use the big PB nuggets for my paths.

Kitty

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lynda Young" <lyoung@grindertaber.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 9:06 AM
Subject: RE: [CHAT] mulch


> Kitty, we use pine bark fines that we get from a small concern in the
> next county.
>
> Lynda
> Zone 7 - West TN
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
> Behalf Of Kitty
> Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 11:25 PM
> To: Agardenchat
> Subject: [CHAT] mulch
>
>
> Question - poll, maybe.
> What kind of mulch do you use?
>
> I ask, because I spent the entire day at my niece's new house redoing
> her mulch.  In front, some lamebrain used black plastic about 15 yrs ago
> and then piled on the mulch.  The beautiful birch tree did find ways
> around it so that the roots were growing on top of the plastic in the
> somewhat decomposed mulch - of course making it harder to extract.  On
> top of this was some other mulch, hard to identify, more like
> sun-bleached wood scrap.
>
> In the back the previous owners had built a large deck.  When they
> landscaped around it they used fabric this time, but the holes they cut
> for the plants were barely big enough for the trunks. One hibiscus had
> thefabric wrapped loosely 5 inches up the trunk.  Over this they had a
> layer of Cypress mulch, thin in some areas, thicker in others.  I fail
> to understand why this mulch is so popular.  In the 2 yrs it had
> hardened into an impermeable mat such that when I poured water on it, it
> just rolled off like a duck's back.  so I cut out more fabric and broke
> up all the mulch - should have pitched it, but tried to save her a
> little by just topdressing.  I used pinebark all around.
>
> So why is cypress so popular other than that it takes forever to
> decompose - another reason I don't like it?  As I understand, it is also
> in trouble, being harvested much too quickly.  Many local suppliers
> carry no pine products.  Those that do will get in 50 skids of cypress
> to one of pine. There's also hardwood mulch, but my experiences with
> that include bringing in my first slugs, and also it seems it's
> appearance is more variable.
>
> So what kind do you use, if you use mulch?
>
> Kitty
>
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